Nicely placed.

[robinrover]

Venkys are listening now to football people which makes a massive difference
Their naivety which was exploited by vultures(Anderson,kentaro)which brought them to the championship then they decided to tighten right up to make amends which brought us to here
Now they have somebody in Mowbray who knows his stuff we are starting to pull ourselves back up
Will we get back to the premier league?who knows but it's unlikely but under the right guidance it's going to be enjoyable.

[Despair]

I’m not going to pull up Sax for his ‘selective period’ choice. This, because I myself quoted my whole period of following the Blues ie from mid 60’s. However if we’re talking personal perspective there’s no better benchmark.
Ergo my view is Champs standard.
25 yrs duration just happens to be back to the moment JW (RIP) started to get properly involved, the rest is history. And that, you could argue, suggests that we could be considered as ‘honoured’ Prem stock.
But this implies we have the right to sit in there regardless, which is way off the mark.

Yes, BFC have done it and all put it down to one man , but is that the whole story???
Until our attendances are swelled up towards the 18k or so (at least) mark once again and the missing thousands return the overall financing of the club remains questionable.

[AucklandRover]

As you know, Despair, I tend not to get embroiled in the political/financial side. I think being so distant has meant I am not quite so emotionally involved in the whole Venky's business. I incline to pretending they are not there!
In general, I totally agree that the Championship is probably our natural level, but as I said the other day, that is probably true for all the teams in the bottom half of the PL too, if we are talking about a realistic chance of winning the competition!
That's why I have long favoured a reorganisation and the creation of a European Super league.

[Saxo1man41]

I agree aucks, then I could legitimately support both Rovers and Liverpool. Rovers domestically and Liverpool super league..!

[AucklandRover]

I agree aucks, then I could legitimately support both Rovers and Liverpool. Rovers domestically and Liverpool super league..!

We'll never get the majority of PL clubs to agree, unfortunately, Saxo - because of the loss of revenue.
But the system could easily work: Liverpool, the two Manchester clubs, Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs would move up. Where numbers allow, the worst-placed club from each country at the end of the Super League season could be replaced by the PL champions or equivalent.
The English PL would become much more balanced and interesting, and probably the football would be more entertaining, as the avoidance of relegation wouldn't be the prime motivation.
Sadly, nothing more than a pipe-dream...and probably a pipe filled with marijuana, at that!

[NZClaret]

TMS - I tend to be optimistic when things look bad, and pessimistic when it appears that we've turned the corner.
Look - don't get me wrong: I'd be delighted, in one sense, if we could get back to the PL, but the Championship is probably our "natural" home. Having said that, I wonder how many teams in the bottom ten of the PL are significantly better than the top six of the Championship. As a Claret, you are probably in a good position to know the answer, from your experience this season. I suspect that a League formed from the 14 clubs below Arsenal and the top six or eight of the C. would produce a much more balanced and interesting set of matches than the current format.

In a league formed like that Burnley would be top of the league and Rovers would still be languishing at the lower end of the second division, nice one.

[AucklandRover]

Only as things stand at the moment. Things can change very quickly. That's the nature of sport - and one of the facets that make it so fascinating.
We've had a few bad years; you've had several very good ones. Nothing to say it's going to stay that way.
I think the most telling lesson comes from Tranmere Rovers. They missed out in the play-offs for the PL three times in the 90s. Where are they now? The National League.
Take nothing for granted.

[NZClaret]

Only as things stand at the moment. Things can change very quickly. That's the nature of sport - and one of the facets that make it so fascinating.
We've had a few bad years; you've had several very good ones. Nothing to say it's going to stay that way.
I think the most telling lesson comes from Tranmere Rovers. They missed out in the play-offs for the PL three times in the 90s. Where are they now? The National League.
Take nothing for granted.

That's true. You could well be down in the National League with Tranmere in a few years.

[AucklandRover]

That's true. You could well be down in the National League with Tranmere in a few years.

And I thought you were going to be a relatively sensible, rational poster, who genuinely wanted to discuss football.
I should have known better.
Instead, it's just more of the inane, repetitive nonsense that plagues the Telegraph site.
Goodbye.

[NZClaret]

And I thought you were going to be a relatively sensible, rational poster, who genuinely wanted to discuss football.
I should have known better.
Instead, it's just more of the inane, repetitive nonsense that plagues the Telegraph site.
Goodbye.

And why is that not a rational post. You are saying things could change and Rovers could be back in the Prem, I am saying they could also change the other way as it went for Tranmere and you could end up where they are. I haven't come on here taking the p..s and laughing at where you are with the Venkys running the show and millions in debt with no assets or decent players to sell and with a dire support base now all the hangers on and plastics have disappeared, or going on about your local rivals are now the best run club in the country and way ahead of you, and that you haven't beaten them in years. No, I have made a couple of observations and you have spat the dummy. I expect stuff like that from ***o, but thought better of you.